Page 69 of The Jerk in Apartment 1B

My finger hovers over the phone. Maybe I shouldn’t call him. He told me to give him time, but I’m still not sure what that means. Does it mean we can’t talk? I should be able to call my boyfriend, or whatever he is to me now. I’m trying to be understanding of Asher and what he’s going through, but I’m getting really annoyed with how he’s handling this. I’m also getting angry.

How long is this going to go on? Why won’t he give me a timeframe so I at least have an idea of how long he needs? I’m starting to think Callie and Scott are right. If Asher really wanted to be with me, he would.

I call him, my heart pounding as his phone rings.

“Trina,” he answers. “Why are you calling me at work? Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened. I just wanted to thank you for the mattress.”

“What mattress?”

“The one you sent me. I just got it, and it’s really nice. I love it!”

“I didn’t get you a mattress,” he says, sounding annoyed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“But I thought—”

“Is that why you called? To ask me about a mattress? You know I’m at work, right? I’ve told you a million times not to call me at work unless it’s an emergency.”

Why is he yelling at me? He could just tell me he’s busy. He doesn’t need to scold me and raise his voice.

“Sorry. I thought you sent me the mattress.”

“It wasn’t me. Trina, I need to go. I was in the middle of going over some numbers when you interrupted me.”

Going over numbers?That’s what he was doing? He can’t take a few minutes from ‘going over numbers’ to talk to me?

He sounds totally different than the guy who met me at the coffee shop on Monday. That guy couldn’t wait to talk to me. He said how much he missed me and that he loved me. The Asher I’m talking to now is not that guy. So which one is real?

“Okay, I’ll go,” I say.

“Yeah, see ya.”

“Asher, wait!”

“What? What do you want?”

I need to ask him this. I can’t keep waiting.

“How much longer do you need? A week? Two weeks?”

He sighs. “I’m not getting into this. I’m at work. I have things to do.”

“Asher, it’s not fair to make me wait like this without giving me a timeframe.”

“Stop pressuring me!” he yells. “God, Trina, it’s just like with the wedding. You kept pressuring me to pick a date. Just leave me alone, okay?”

“Is that what this is about? The wedding? You weren’t ready to pick a date?”

“I don’t even know if I want to get married. I told you that the night we broke up.”

My heart’s pounding and my throat is dry. I’m on the verge of tears, but I’m trying really hard not to cry.

“Then what are we doing? Why did you ask me to give you time to figure this out if it isn’t what you want?”

“Because I don’t know what I want. That’s why I need time to think. How many times do I need to tell you this?”

“You don’t need time. A few weeks or a month isn’t going to change anything.” Tears slide down my face. “If you wanted to be with me, you wouldn’t need time. You’d already know.”

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